Iron Heroes: A Saga of Might

[Dr Simon]

Bjorn spits on the coral.

"This is a crock," he says. "Are we really going to trust this creature?"

Whether she has heard hom or not is unclear, but the creature Brinkiria gestures from behind her screen. A huge clam shell near her shack opens, revealing a tunnel leading down.

"This is the way you must go," she says.

 

[mfloyd3]

Xoria nods to the creature, but focuses her attention on Bjorn. "Have you another plan?" she asks quietly, but with surprising sternness. "Slaying this creature will not free the ship. If you wish to go back and wait for death, that is your choice. I will fight whatever it is at the bottom of those stairs, trap or no."

 

[Shayuri]

"Can something like that be slain?" Vela asks uneasily, eying the passage down. "How can something be killed if it is already dead? They may be sending us down to add our souls to its collection."

 

[Walking Dad]

Olmar
Defense 13 (FF13), HP 34/34, F +5,R+4,W+4; Ini +2 ; Fury Pool 0/12; DR 1d4

"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die."
Olmar says cryptically, looking at the strange thing beneath them.

[sblock=OOC]
Sorry, couldn't resist...

----

Reserve Points: 27 / 34

Pick (gripped with both hand and Power attack 1):
1d20+4 - 1d6+6 - 20/x4

In berserker rage:
1d20+5 - 1d6+8 - 20/x4
[/sblock]

 

[mfloyd3]

Xoria looks over at Olmar, taken aback by this sudden wisdom. "Just so," she observes. She returns her attention to Vela. "It takes great power to animate such an enormous beast," the sorceress explains. "But it is still only a spell. Remove the focus -- The Conch, if we believe this story -- And it will fail."

 

[Dr Simon]

Bjorn gestures towards the clam-shell opening with his head.

"In that case, what are we waiting for?" he says grimly, drawing his cutlass.

 

[Shayuri]

Vela's gaze oscillates between Olmar and Xoria for a moment...and she nods.

"So be it."

She goes to stand with Bjorn, and accompanies him into the deep dark below.

 

[mfloyd3]

Xoria waits for Olmar to walk before her, knowing the barbarian's strength makes the better lead.

"Do not look directly at the sisters," she cautions. "There is a legend that they can sap the strength of mortals with their gaze."

 

[Walking Dad]

After Xoria has shown him the best way to go, Olmar takes grimly the lead, pickaxe ready in hand.

 

[Dr Simon]

Inside the clam shell is a tunnel. The walls are carved from coral and sometimes show mother-of-pearl, the floor is rough but with slick patches of sea water and weed. There is an almost imperceptible downward slope and a rightward turn as the tunnel spirals deeper and deeper, down into the depths of the vast nautilus shell. Finally, you step out of another clam shell that opens to admit you into a huge chamber, filled with wierd sights.

The inner curve of the shell arches high above. Half of this chamber opens onto dark sea, the other half (where you are) is solid ground. Lying along the shore that is thus formed are nine sperm whales, like a mass beaching. These whales, however, do not look healthy. Their flesh is covered in rotting sores, their eyes roll in their heads and a cloying blue-black smoke issue from their blow-holes. They are tied to the shore by a series of massive chains.

A steady column if water rains down from a hole above, into a pool in the middle of the shore. Several pale crabs, their shells also trailing wisps of the blue-black smoke, carry fish from this pool and place it in the waiting mouths of the whales.

The whales and the crabs take no notice of the new arrivals. The blue-black smoke fills the room like the fug of a smoky bar.